Gay US bishop and long-term partner in civil union ceremony

The gay US Episcopal bishop at the centre of the Anglican church's global battle over homosexuality has entered into a civil union with his long-term partner at a private ceremony.

About 120 guests gathered at St Paul's Church in New Hampshire for Saturday's ceremony for Bishop Gene Robinson and his partner of more than 19 years, Mark Andrews. The event was kept private out of respect for next month's worldwide Anglican conference, Robinson's spokesman, Mike Barwell, said on Sunday.

"It was absolutely joyful," Barwell told Reuters. "A lot of his supporters and friends were there, including many members of the gay and lesbian community."

In a letter to the head of the Anglican Communion, the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council of New Hampshire has condemned the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, for excluding their bishop from this year's Lambeth conference and urged him to reconsider his decision to prohibit the gay cleric from participating in the 10-yearly gathering of the world's Anglican bishops.

"We, the clergy and lay people of the diocese of New Hampshire, vehemently protest your refusal to send an invitation to the Lambeth Conference to our bishop. In addition we protest your censorship of Bishop Robinson from preaching or presiding at a Eucharist while he is in England. Not including our Bishop means that you also exclude our representation and participation."

The letter was received at Lambeth Palace on May 29. No response has been received from Williams.

Signatories to the letter added that they failed to see how barring the bishop fulfilled the Anglican ethos of respecting differences and promoting tolerance. "We hope and pray, in the little time left before Lambeth, that you will reconsider a decision that so wrongfully excludes the people of the diocese of New Hampshire."

Robinson announced in March that he would have no official role in the conference, saying the restrictions that organisers wanted to place on his involvement had caused him "considerable pain".

Lambeth is an invitation-only event and Robinson has been specifically, and publicly, snubbed twice by Williams in the past two years.

His refusal to include him has been interpreted as an attempt to appease conservative factions who have opposed the gay bishop's election and consecration.

Many of those bishops have chosen not to attend Lambeth, despite Robinson's official exclusion, because of their unshakeable views on homosexuality.

Saturday's wedding will further infuriate his detractors. Robinson announced his intention to have the ceremony this month, saying he had "always wanted to be a June bride", but kept the date secret.